


Starlight

by CJ_McLovin



Category: Original Work
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-31
Updated: 2020-06-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:48:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24474544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CJ_McLovin/pseuds/CJ_McLovin
Summary: After finishing a high profile job, a Bounty Hunter meets an undercover operative who asks for his help.
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first work I've ever published. It was just something I wanted to do for fun, so I didn't really have a solid plan in place when I started.

# Chapter 1

## The Bounty

"Wake up Ryder, we will be arriving in 30 minutes." The voice, as well as the soft glowing light in my room, woke me. It had been a long trip and I had needed some good rest. As I sat up in my bed, only one thought brought worry to me.

"How's our passenger?" I asked with a groggy voice.

"Still sedated, though he will be regaining consciousness soon." I pulled up the monitor near my bed and flipped to the security feed. There in the hold, was the wanted criminal that was going to cover my expenses for the few months, still passed out with his face against the wall thanks to the powerful anesthetic I gave him. 

"I'll give him another dose before we arrive. Just enough so that he doesn't cause a fuss."

"Of course, Boss. You better get dressed, and I'll prepare the docking cycle."

============================================================

After getting my clothes on and my equipment ready, I made my way to the cockpit. Floating there in space, a few hundred kilometres in front of us, was Orion Station. A massive spaceport home to enough people to populate a small planet. "We'll be coming in at bay 192, from there it's a 15 minute walk and a short tram ride to the nearest security station." C.A.S., my Custom Automation System, popped up on her projector, the image of a young, blue tinted woman with a ponytail and a parka. "You've been chasing this guy for a while, you must be pretty excited to finally bring him in."

"Yeah, but it's kinda bittersweet. Chasing a wanted murderer, slave trader, and drug trafficker across three planets? Could make for a good story, I should write a book."

C.A.S. conjured up a chair and leaned back into it. "Well before you write the next great epic, you need to cash in this bounty."

"We're about to be 5 million credits richer." I said with a smile. We began the docking process, the station guiding my ship into the bay with a tractor beam. One of my monitors lit up, and when I opened it up, I was staring into the single, bulging eye of the deck officer.

"State your name and business." He said with a very gruff voice.

"Adrian Ryder, here to turn in a bounty and resupply."

"Please display the info on your bounty." I nodded to C.A.S., who sent the information along to the deck officer. It took a second for the translators to display the info in his language, but when he finished reading it, his eye lit up. "Wow! This guy's been on the run for a while. I'm impressed you caught him. You're clear to dock, and do you have any idea how long you'll be staying?"

"3 days at the most while I get some repairs done on the ship and look for a new score." The deck officer nodded and gave me the all clear. While C.A.S. proceeded with the landing sequence, I went to prepare my bounty. A rather large being, four long muscular arms which he uses for climbing; something that came in handy several times during his escapes. His bare feet had large talons that could easily tear into most metals. Four eyes all around his head made it damn near impossible to sneak up on him. A good use of some flash-bangs and a sedative was able to bring him down, but he still put a few good scratches on me. I strapped my pistol to my leg, my knife to my boot, and attached my earpiece. "Ok C.A.S., keep a watch for any distress signals and open bounties. I haven't heard of anything big in a while, but there's nothing wrong with chasing some smaller scores."

C.A.S.'s voice came into my earpiece. "With this guy, we could probably avoid work for at least a month."

"True, but don't forget the other reason we do this job."

"Helping the people and bringing smiles to the galaxy!" She said in a wistful, almost sarcastic tone.

"You'd fit in perfectly in a children's movie with that tone." We finally came to a stop and I opened the hatch on my ship. What was once an abandoned freighter ship, became my personal living quarters and combat vessel with the help of some old friends and a mountain of modifications. With C.A.S. plugged into its systems, the _Lioness _almost had its own personality. It may not be the most conventional ship, but it's my home, and I love it.__

__============================================================_ _

__It was only a 15 minute walk to the tram station, but when you're hauling around a 5 million credit bounty around, anyone who gives you a funny look could be eager to stick a knife in your back or a gun to your head. I relaxed once I boarded the tram. Every space port like this has a central security station at its core, and the tram systems are the quickest way to get to them. The closer you get to the security stations, the less likely you are to get jumped, but I could still feel some lingering eyes on me._ _

__When we pulled up to the station and stepped out of the doors, one of the officers almost choked on his snack when he saw who I was escorting. "Good day, gentlemen. I'm here to collect the reward on this big bastard." I gave the officers a wave and a big smile. Presentation is important. They took us both into the station and ran I.D. scans to make sure neither me or the bounty were pulling some VERY elaborate ruse. Once they had verified that everything was in order, they had me fill out some paperwork, and sent the request to the Banking Federation to add 5 million credits to my account. I called up C.A.S. on my earpiece to make sure the funds were added properly._ _

__"You may now officially call yourself a millionaire!" she said in her best "snobby aristocrat" voice._ _

__"And maybe now you can dress in something nicer than a parka!" I have no idea why she always has the parka. For an A.I. she has a lot of personality._ _

__"The parka stays, and you know that. I'm a strong, independent construct."_ _

__"Right. I'm going to look into any leads around the station, and see if there's any new gear that can be of use. Do a diagnostic check on the Lioness; see if there's anything that needs fixing. I know the starboard engine needs some work, and the gravity pump has been kinda spotty."_ _

__"Shall I make your bed and fluff your pillow for you as well?" she asked. I could hear the sarcasm in her voice._ _

__"Only if you want to. I'll talk to you later."_ _


	2. The Station

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryder explores the station, gets into trouble, and helps a stranger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Naming alien races isn't my strong suit

# Chapter 2

## The Station

It wasn't uncommon for people to spend their entire lives on stations like these, especially ones as large as Orion. Orbiting a mining planet a couple dozen light years away from the Milky Way, Orion Station saw its fair share of travelers. Merchants, traders, bounty hunters, even major militaries and government officials made their way through. The less fortunate are the ones who end up living on the stations, and it begins to look like the slums in any city. Clubs and weapons dealers around almost every corner, and you're probably more likely to get mugged than receive a hello, but as I learned early in my career, the best places to go for information are the bars, the brothels, and if you have hair, the barbers. 

News of my achievement that morning spread rather quickly. I expected as much, so it came as no surprise when I started hearing my name in hushed tones. Those who recognized me gave me pretty long, jealous stares, and a few even looked like they would try to jump me for claiming "their" prize. As I made my way through the market, I managed to pick up a T-19 Blaster Rifle; one of the newer models available, and my first proper gun. Not that my pistol can't get the job done, but it has its limits. 

Immediately after, I was approached by a pretty pissed off alien. I expected as much, but what I wasn't expecting was that alien to be a Horaget; essentially a race of short tempered jocks. While not incredibly tall, a Horaget with the muscle mass off a human body builder on steroids would qualify them for humanitarian aid. Without saying anything, he grabbed me by the collar of my flight suit and tossed me into the clearing of the market. He was clearly a "punch first, maybe ask questions later" kind of guy. I was a little dazed, but I got back on my feet and addressed my attacker, my new blaster on the ground beside me. "Clearly I've done something to offend you? Or did you just get kicked out of the bar?"

"You know why i'm here, what I want!" he growled with a heavy accent.

"Do you have any idea how many times I've heard that line? Why don't you say who I am, so we can both be sure you haven't mistaken me for someone else." The rapidly spreading news of me turning in the Zargarian made me almost certain he just wanted to rob me or kill me for getting the score first. However, there was a possibility he was angry at me for some job I did in the past.

"You are Ryder, you took the Zargarian bounty! How?" Despite never meeting this guy before, it was clear that he felt entitled to the hit, and that I had somehow damaged his pride and reputation. 

"I did my homework, knew where to look, and just so happened to get to him first." We had drawn crowd now. People from all kinds of races had formed a circle around us. It seems I had become a local celebrity; there was lots of arguing, and a few people were recording the encounter, no doubt streaming it to the Holonet.

"That was my score! You had no right to take it!"

That's when the Horaget started to annoy me. "Your score?! It was an OPEN bounty. That means anyone could have taken it. Maybe you'd have gotten to it if you didn't spend so much time drinking and whoring around." 

"I'LL KILL YOU, WORM!!!" He charged at me, drawing knives from his belt. I managed to dodge a flurry of wild stabs and slashes. It was clear he was still a little drunk, not only from his attacks, which were unfocused and filled with anger, but from the powerful smell of his breath. He stumbled into the wall of onlookers. Some of them tried to push him back into the fight but he shook them off and waved his knives around wildly to keep them away. It was during the struggle that he managed to slash at a young woman. She cried out and fell to the ground, a large gash on her arm. 

That's all I needed. The Horaget charged me again. This time, I sidestepped his attack and swept one of his legs. His hangover did the rest of the work, and he fell face first into the metal floor. As soon as he was on the ground, I picked up my new T-19 and shot him twice in the back. This kind of thing happens all the time on these stations, so the crowd wasn't too shocked. Some of them exchanged money for bets, and went back to their regular business. I looked around for a second and saw the woman who had been cut. Securing my rifle to the magnetic holster on my back, I walked over to her and helped her up. 

"Aside from the scratch, are you alright?" She was clearly shaken by what had just happened, and gave me a quick, nervous glance. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you."

"You killed him." she said, quietly, but sternly.

"Was he a friend of yours?"

She shook her head quickly and looked at me. "Why did you kill him?"

"He loudly threatened to kill me, and he injured you. I won't get more than a stern talking to for killing a wild, dangerous bounty hunter, especially in this environment." She grimaced, and I was suddenly aware of how much she was bleeding. "There's a medical station just down that corridor. You should head there now."

"Thanks..." Her voice was quiet, and I could tell there were gears turning in her head. Her eyes narrowed. "You're also a Bounty Hunter?"

"One of the better ones, yes. I'm Adrian Ryder. I just wrapped up a job, which is what all of that..." I gestured to the Horaget "... was all about." She perked up a little. She looked down the street, but I could tell she was in her mind, thinking of... something.

Meanwhile, her arm was still bleeding, beginning to gather in a small puddle on the floor. I reached into my pocket, and pulled out a few credits. I placed them in her good hand. "Ok, well I'm gonna be on my way now. Get yourself patched up at that medical station, and if you decide you want to hire me, take this." From my other pocket, I gave her one of my I.D. cards, which also had my communication code on it.

And with that, I gave her one more smile and began making my way further down the market. I could feel her watching me, wondering why a total stranger would go out of their way to help. 

============================================================

I spent a good chunk of the day wandering the station, listening in on conversations, and checking bounty boards to try and find the next big mission. There was nothing too extraordinary today; drug dealers screwing over other drug dealers, thugs tricking gamblers out of all their money, and a few cheated-on spouses about to ruin someone's day. It was very rare to come across a job that would lead to a galaxy spanning adventure. Those were the fun jobs; they keep a man busy, and make for good stories when they're done. There were a few requests for aid from some rebellions, (and from the governments looking to crush those rebellions) but the closest one would take a 6 week trip to get to. Not that I wasn't interested, but after a big catch like the one I had this morning, I was looking for something with a little lower profile. My encounter with the Horaget this morning showed that I would have to keep my head down for a while, and wait until everyone started focusing on a new score. 

I was snacking on a supply bar in a diner when I received a call from C.A.S. "So I see you've had an interesting day! First you hit the news for turning in that bounty, and then for offing some pissed off drunkard."

"Yeah, it's been kinda weird, but also par for the course. Got anything good?"

"Well, let's say your day is about to get a bit MORE interesting. We have a direct request!"

That really got my attention, though given today's events, I wasn't fully surprised. I'm good enough at what I do, but i'm nowhere near the best in the galaxy, so a personal request for me is amazingly rare. "I have a feeling I know who it is, but I'll ask anyway. Who's it from?"

Even though she's entirely code, and only coming in as a voice on my earpiece, I could almost feel C.A.S. smiling as she answered. "The young woman you helped. I've got her on a direct line here at the ship."

_I think I may have just found my next big job _"I'm not too far away. "I'll be there soon."__


	3. The Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryder finds his new job.

# Chapter 3

## The Call

While it wasn't that long of a walk to get back to the _Lioness_ , I found myself walking faster than normal. I don't get personal calls that often, so I was excited that somebody was looking for me specifically to help with a job, even if I had only briefly met that somebody earlier in the day. Usually when someone offers a personal job, it's because they already know the Bounty Hunter personally, or they believe there is only one person who can do the job. Cliche' I know, but that doesn't mean it never happens. However, I obviously don't personally know this woman, and I don't know how much she knows about me to consider me the "right person."

As I got close to the ship, the rear door opened by itself. No doubt because C.A.S. was tracking me, and wanted to waste as little time as possible. That either meant that she was excited to have more work already, or she thought the situation was urgent, and we couldn't afford to waste time.

I hopped in the ship, and immediately made my way to the cockpit. "Bout time Boss! Don't you know you're not supposed to keep a lady waiting?" C.A.S. said. I gave her a quick look before opening up the ship's comm channels. Sure enough, there was a live transmission coming in on standby. I opened the channel, and the face of the woman from earlier filled the screen. I didn't think I would see her again so soon, so I didn't bother really studying her features. She had dark red eyes, which greatly complimented her brown hair; wild, but cut short, probably to avoid being grabbed by unwanted hands. She had a long scar along her left cheek, which stopped just above a very defined jaw. She looked back at me with a stern face, but mixed with something else. Maybe fear.

"Hello Mr. Ryder." Her voice was quiet. Was she hiding? Or was it just due to a bad connection?

While I could tell she had urgent business, I was also kind of happy to see her again. I gave her a smile and responded. "We meet again! How's your arm?"

She replied quickly, and with a tone that made it clear her low volume was due to her physical location. She was hiding, and she was short on time. "My arm is fine. Look, I need your help. I have to get off this station as quickly as possible."

"Ok, but there's something more to this, isn't there? Otherwise, why would you come to a Bounty Hunter?"

"Powerful people are looking for me, that's why! I've been hiding on this station for a few weeks now, but I'm not sure how much longer I can stay here. I'm risking a lot just talking to you right now." Something made a noise on her end, and she quickly shot a glance over her shoulder.

"Who's looking or you? What do you have that's so important?" She immediately brought her attention back to me.

"I've lasted this long by not being stupid, and I'm not bout to share that kind of information over a comm channel that might be tapped." That brought a short chuckle out of C.A.S., and I wasn't sure if it was directed at me for asking a dumb question, the woman's witty reply, or the woman thinking the line was tapped. It's happened before, but I know C.A.S. is oddly sensitive about it.

This presented a rare situation; If this woman truly believes that someone is listening in, then she isn't going to share any information that might reveal her location or identity. For a moment, I considered just writing down a meeting location on a notepad and showing her through the video feed, but that wouldn't do either. While most scammers and pirates will only hack into the audio feed, there are some who are skilled enough to access the video feed as well, and if this woman was as smart as she said she is, she will have considered that. Then, the solution seemed clear as day. "Do your pursuers know where you were today?"

"No. They're still a couple days behind me, but they'll catch up fast. Will you help me?" She was speaking faster and slightly louder. It was obvious she was getting desperate.

"I will. 8, 24 at 0900 ECT, 300 metres from the pharmacy you visited today." It took her a moment, but she quickly understood what I was talking about, and closed the comm channel. C.A.S. gave me a very sly look when I turned to her.

"Clever little move there, but do you think it will work?"

I stood from my chair and made my way to my sleeping quarters. "We don't know who it is that's chasing her, so we can't know for sure that it will. However, she understood what I said, and quickly closed the line afterwards, which tells us that she thinks it'll work." Most of the civilized worlds had long ago switched to the universal calendar, which is based on a bunch of calculations and time zones that I will never fully understand. Fortunately for our situation, many in the criminal underworld like to use the dates and times of their native planets to set up meetings. To most other species, I just gave that woman a useless jumble of letters and numbers, when in reality, I asked her to meet me on August 24, at 9:00 am Earth Central Time.

I took a quick shower, and lied down on my bunk. I needed the rest. August 24, 9:00 am Earth Central Time was only a few hours away, and I had a feeling it was going to be a busy day.


	4. The Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryder meets with his new client, and a plan is put into action.

Chapter 4

## The Meeting

The corridor outside of the medical station was busy, but not so much that I wouldn't be able to see the woman when she came by. It turns out that she was quite good at mixing into a crowd, as in the sea of wildly different aliens and travelers, she was able to get behind me and place a hand on my arm.

"If your done standing around, we have work to do." Without waiting for my response, she pulled me along, heading into the flow of the crowd. Knowing that there might still be some people trying to listen in on us, I spoke quietly.

"So, can I ask what your name is?"

"I'm not using my real name while working. Just call me Athena" she replied quickly. "We need to figure out a way off the station as soon as possible."

Without another word from either of us, Athena led me down a quieter passage that snaked between the individual buildings. After a few minutes, we arrived at what looked like a blank wall. She reached for a broken pipe, and gave it a pull. A small panel opened up to reveal a keypad, where she entered her code. A 3 foot wide piece of the wall slid to the side. While I didn't say anything, I couldn't help but be a little excited. I'm quite fond of secret passages.

"This is the safe-house I've been using. We'll be able to talk in here." It wasn't a very luxurious safe-house; a cot, some surveillance equipment, and a very basic cooking area. As we walked in, she went over to the cot, and pulled a case out from underneath. 

"I assume that's the cargo you're being chased for?" I asked.

Athena gave me a quick nod. "I can't tell you what it is, but it's a piece of equipment that a lot of powerful people want to get their hands on. I had to steal it from the government that runs this station, which means the people chasing me will be the security officers here."

"Ok, so what's the issue? I'm guessing you can't just board a transport, or hire a public service?"

Athena sat down on the cot, and placed the case beside her. Her face switched to its angry setting when I asked the question. "No. I was supposed to meet a third party here at a rendezvous, but I guess they caught wind of what I was carrying. They sold me out, I assume hoping for some sort of cut. I was able to take care of them, but by then the authorities were on to me."

Everything she was saying made sense so far, but there was still one thing I wanted to know. "You said powerful people are looking for this thing, and that you had to steal this from the local government. So who do you work for?"

She locked eyes with me, and I could tell that she was considering the consequences of answering that question. There was something in the way she looked at me that said she had played this game many times before, and that it didn't always work out. I had no interest in tricking her, but apparently I wasn't completely trustworthy yet. "I don't want to say. I reached out to you because I knew you had just finished a job, one that had kept you busy for a while, so you wouldn't have known about my situation from this government. For now, you're a blank slate. I also read some of your files and reports, and a lot of them claim that your good at keeping your word. Just trust me that I'm trying to keep this equipment away from bad people."

She stood from the cot, walked up to me, and reached out her hand. "So are they right? Can I trust you? Will you help me?"

In less than a day, I had turned in a bounty, and immediately stumbled into a new job. A job that clearly had stakes beyond a few robberies and petty murders. I still had questions about who Athena was working for, and whether or not they had ulterior motives, but I could tell that there was honesty behind every word she had spoken. I grabbed her hand and gave it a firm shake. "You can, and I will."

========================================================================

Athena's plan was pretty straight forward, but there's always something that can go wrong, and with how nervous and cautious she's been, I was sure that something would indeed go wrong.

Orion Station had 50 levels, each split into 5 sectors. The Lioness was docked in the hangar in Sector 4 of level 29, and I was heading to the Sector 4 security station. We were about to create a lot of chaos, and we need to make a quick getaway.

With the flowing crowds of countless different species, skin tones, and limbs, sneaking into the alleyways was no challenge. I was still a few blocks away from the station, but I couldn't afford being seen going into the alleys so close. The new pouch I got from Athena felt heavier than it looked, but that was probably due to the concussion charge that I was going to stick to the outer wall.

"The charge won't kill the inmates they have in there, and a few of our agents will help cause a little chaos. Both of the inmates have ties to some local gangs, so security will assume it's one of them before they think it's me." Athena's instructions played back in my mind. "I know your concerned about releasing the inmates, but don't worry. Our agents will make sure they're recaptured."

While that did put me a little at ease, I was still nervous about this whole thing. I didn't know who Athena was, who she was working for, or even what was in her case. All of those factors told me to just turn this job down and walk away, but the way she had detailed her plan, and when she asked for my help... I could tell she was earnest.

I was finally behind the security station, and thankfully, the alley was mostly empty, save for a single sleeping vagrant. "No time like the present." I approached the wall, and found the middle, where Athena had told me to plant the charge.

I double checked the surroundings to make sure I was alone. Nobody was around, so I made my move. I activated the magnetic clamp and stuck it to the wall, where it held onto the metal girder inside. Once it was secure, I began to calibrate the detonator, setting it up to the small command pad on my forearm; another gift from Athena.

While I was working, I went over Athena's plan one more time. Once I detonated the charge, I would use the command pad to send a signal to Athena. All of the security stations on Orion were directly connected to the power grid, so she would use my distraction as an opportunity to hack in, and shut down power in our Sector. Once the power was off, we would be able to get through the checkpoint at the hangar. That was the most crucial part of her plan, as the checkpoint would require a search of her package, which she insisted could not happen under any circumstance.

Right as I was finishing up, a vice like grip clamped down on my arm. My heart nearly jumped out of my chest, and as I turned, I was faced with a solid horizontal yellow light; a security droid.

"I.D. CONFIRMED: ADRIAN RYDER. CEASE ALL ACTION. A 500 CREDIT FINE HAS BEEN ADDED TO YOUR PUBLIC RECORD FOR VANDALIZING LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROPERTY. PAY NOW, OR ACCOMPANY ME TO THE NEAREST SECURITY CHECKPOINT."

The droid's grip wasn't letting up, and my mind was racing trying to think of a way out. I would have been perfectly fine with paying now, but then the droid would confiscate the charge. Before I could make up my mind, it was made for me. 

The droid's head turned into a shower of sparks and molten metal. The droid fell to the ground, releasing my arm, and I saw that the vagrant had woken up, and shot it in the head with a blaster pistol. "Damn bots. Can't let a man sleep in peace." His voice was tired, and a little slurred. He gave the droid a hard kick, called it a "Piece of shit," and returned to his pile.

I realized that someone would have heard that shot, so I returned to the charge. Luckily, all I had left to do was synchronize the charge to the control pad. With that done, I turned back the way I came. Unfortunately, that's when everything started to go wrong. 

"Hey you! What's going on here?" I turned to see a pair of officers at the mouth of the alley.

Without killing these two, I had no way to take them out from where I was standing. The only way was to detonate the charge. It wouldn't kill them, but it would give them one hell of an awful headache tomorrow morning. I was hoping for a bit more time, but if I left now without setting off the charge, they would deactivate it and confiscate it. 

"Dammit" was the only thing I said before rounding the corner, and activating the detonation sequence. I took off down the alley, and quickly found myself on the street. A few officers gave me a quick glance, before turning back to their regular business. Their business didn't last long before the charge went off, and threw the street into chaos. I sent my signal to Athena, and began to run.

Given the disorder of the whole situation, my running didn't raise any suspicions. The plan was to meet Athena at the dance club just outside of the checkpoint. I was about to head through a tunnel that lead to Sector 4's shopping district, when a shot from a blaster landed on the wall right next to my head. I turned around, and saw the two security officers who saw me in the alley. The first one yelled at me to freeze, while his partner was talking into his comm link, no doubt calling for backup.

After that, the lights went down, and I began the second phase of our plan. As I made my way into the tunnel, one thought ran through my head:

This is gonna be a long day. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still working on Chapter 5, which will be the finale of this specific story. I am considering doing more with these characters. I just need to think of a proper story, and actually plan that one out.

**Author's Note:**

> (Wow! I didn't realize how short this was until I put it up here!) Thanks for reading! I have a few more chapters ready to go, and will upload ASAP. I originally planned on doing just 5 chapters, but I'm thinking I might do more, make this a proper story. Let's see where it goes!


End file.
